Life Changes Part 3
by Eden Shadlow-Hoffmann
Summary: What do they do now?


Life Changes (Part 3) By Eden Shadlow (eshadlow11@hotmail.com) 

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Well I'm back, with the third part. Thanks again for the fabulous feedback, I just hope this story wraps up some of the questions I have received. If you haven't already, read Parts 1 and 2 of 'Life Changes' first, or this story won't make much sense. Feedback can be sent to 'eshadlow11@hotmail.com) Well, bye for now. 

These characters are not mine, they belong to Kevin Williamson and WB, and no profit is made from this story. This story cannot be posted anywhere without prior permission from me.(I know I sound like a whinge but I'm really a very nice person) *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Joey and Pacey followed Dawson slowly in to the lounge and tentatively took seats. Dawson looked at them both, with a combination of fear and anger in his eyes. 

"Well", he said, "Who's going to start." 

Joey and Pacey exchanged glances. "I will.", said Joey. She took a deep breath and began. "Well, when I left Capeside that August, I was determined to put that whole aspect of my life behind me. I thought I needed to move onto a different life. And,", she looked up at Dawson, "I felt I had to get away from you. That last night we had was the most incredible experience I had ever had, and I worried that if I allowed myself to fall in love with you again, I would never move on. "So I cut myself off from you completely. But a few weeks after I moved out here, I found out I was pregnant. I knew it was your baby, and I almost fell apart. I had no idea what to do, so I turned to someone who knew you and me, and would know how you would react." 

Dawson sighed, "Pacey.", he said looking over at his friend who was sitting, listening intently. 

"No,", said Joey, bringing Dawson's attention back to her, "It wasn't Pacey, it was Jenn." 

Dawson looked suprised. "You turned to Jenn for help? Why?" 

"She knew you, she kew me. And she was the only close girl friend I had. I needed advice and she was the only one I could turn too." 

"Well what advice did she give you." 

"She told me that the best thing for me to do, was to have the baby on my own, and never tell you. She said if I told you, you would do whatever you had to to do the 'right thing' by me, even leaving school. I realised that I couldn't do that to you, so I decided to keep the baby, and raise it on my own." 

Dawson looked at her, bewildered, "How? You were 18, in you're first year at college, and your only family lived 3000 miles away. How could you do it on your own?" 

"Bessie helped. She orginised all the details with my college, and then left Alex with Bodie, and flew out to stay with me for 4 months. She helped me find an apartment to rent, orginised day care for the baby, and was there when Elliot was born. I couldn't have gotten through it without her." Joey added, smiling. 

"So then what happened. Did you go back to school?" 

"Yes. I had left at the start of March, and finished the first year by corespondence, then I went back in August for my second year, 3 months after he was born." Joey said, quite matter-of-factually. 

Dawson looked from Joey to his son, who was sitting quietly in his mothers lap. "So when is his birthday?" 

"May 11th." 

"May 11th." Dawson repeated, as if commiting it to memory. 

"Yes. He turned 8 last week." There was a moments silence while Joey allowed Dawson to process all that she was telling him. 

Finally Pacey spoke. "Joey. Are you going to continue?" 

Dawson and Joey both turned their heads in his direction, startled, as they had almost forgotten he was there. "Yes Pacey. Sorry.", Joey composed herself again and began. 

"Anyway, it was like that for years, I finished school, and took a job as a lecturer in History and Psychology at USC. We moved down here to LA, and we've been here ever since." 

Dawson put the pieces together in his mind, something didn't fit right. Suddenly, a thought. "Wait. How is Pacey involved in this?" He watched as his two friends looked at each other, conversing only with their eyes. Finally, Pacey spoke up, 

"I can answer that." He said. "About 3 years ago, during my first season on the show, I contacted Joey here in LA. I told her I knew about Elliot and everything. SHe was upset, and panicked that I might tell you. So I promised I wouldn't." 

Dawson looked puzzled, "But how did you know?" 

"Just before I contacted Joey, I had spent two weeks on location in New York. It was there that I had looked up an old friend. One Jennifer Lindley. I met her for dinner several times and one night, she had been drinking too much, and she confessed to me about Joey and Dawson's baby. But what I didn't ell Joey, was that she confessed something more cruel and dispicable." Being the constant actor and attention seeker, Pacey paused for dramatic effect. It worked, Dawson and Joey were both on the edge of their seats. He went on, "She told me the whole story about her and Dawson, and also the reasoning behind that." He turned to Dawson with a sympathetic look, "I know you may not want to hear this Dawson, but Jenn got pregnant on purpose. She knew exactly what she was doing when she 'accidently' ran into you in Boston. She realised that Joey could tell you at any time about the baby, and she knew you would do the honest thing because of how much you loved Joey. Jenn felt that if she got pregnant, you would be her's, and Joey would be of no importance anymore." 

Dawson looked devestated, as did Joey. Dawson was upset because he had never believed the mother of his daughter could have been so calous and uncaring. He thanked God again for the decision, and for the fact that his daughter had no contact with her mother. Joey felt almost violated, and unbelievabley angry at Jenn. She was the first to speak. 

"How dare she. I confided my deepest secret in her, and she used the information in an attempt to settle a petty high school fight! She had no right to do that." She spat angrily. 

"Joey." Pacey said in an attempt to pacify her, "Calm down. This was the reason I kept this from you. I realised that Jenn was not someone who was a friend to you, or to Dawson, so I decided to keep it a secret." 

Dawson spoke up "You did the right thing. I know that I could not have spoken of Jenn to Djuna ever again if you had told me this when you found out." 

"Well what about now?" 

Dawson contemplated this for a moment, "I began a letter to her last night explaining that I had moved Djuna to LA. I'm not going to send that one. Instead, I will tell her that she is never to have contact of any kind with me or Djuna ever again." 

Joey looked at him confused, "I thought she had no rights anyway." 

"She doesn't, but I've always let her know where we were, and how Djuna was doing. But from now on, no forwarding addresses, no updates, that's it. If she could be so coldhearted to concieve a child out of jealousy, I don't want to know her ever again." 

"Same here." Said Joey. There was a minutes silence, "Well, is that all of your part Pace?" 

"Yep, that's it. Now we all know the whole story." 

"Yes," said Dawson, "But what do we do with this new found knowledge." 

They all sat quietly, looking at each other, a they figured out what to say next. Dawson realised that it was past 10pm, they had been talking for several hours. Elliot and Djuna had long since fallen asleep, curled up together on the couch. Dawson looked at the two of them, and realised again how much Elliot looked like Joey. But on the other hand, he could see the similarities between them. He looked up at Joey, "You know, I don't think we're up to solving many problems tonight. We've been through too much." Joey and Pacey nodded, "I vote that we discuss this tomorrow, and for now, we put theses children to bed, and try to sleep ourselves." He moved over and picked up Djuna. "If it's OK with you Jo, we can tuck them both into Djuna's bed. You can't wake him up now." 

"I agree", said Pacey as he picked up the sleeping boy, "Let him stay tonight. I'll even carry him up the stairs for you." 

"Thanks Pacey.", Joey said smiling, "He can stay here tonight." 

They all headed up the stairs towards Djuna's room. Both the children were tucked into her bed, Elliot on the right, Djuna on the left. Pacey said goodnight and quickly snuck out of the room, leaving Dawson and Joey with their children. 

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'Well', thought Pacey as he walked out to his car, 'it's been quite a night. I just hope those two can work this out.' He climbed into his car and drove off. 

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Back inside the house, Dawson and Joey were standing in the doorway, watching Djuna and Elliot sleeping. "Do you think they'll be OK in there together?", asked Joey. 

"They'll be fine. I remember us sleeping in the same bed for years, and we weren't brother and sister either.", she said grinning. 

"I suppose you're right." They turned away from the room and decended the stairs to the entrance hall and headed out to Joey's car. 

Joey handed him a slip of paper with her name and address on it. "Here, ring me in the morning when he wakes up." 

"Thanks. You know", said Dawson, "We are going to have a lot of explaining to do to them. What do you think is the best way to tell them?" 

"I don't know.", said Joey, "I think we should take them out somewhere, you know, to soften the blow. And I think we should do it tomorrow." 

"You're right. Djuna was only going to school this week to adjust. It won't hurt her to miss a day. We can take them to Disney land or something." They laughed softly, but were quickley silent. "Jo, can I confide one more thing in you tonight." 

She looked into his eyes, "Sure Dawson. You can tell me anything." 

He faltered for a moment, trying to find the best way to say what he had to say. "I don't quite know how to say this, maybe I should just show you." Suddenly to Joey suprise, he leaned over and kissed her, ever so gently on the lips. When he pulled back, she stared at him, not knowing how to react. "Jo", he whispered, "I have never stopped loving you. I thought I had but seeing you tonight made me realise that those feelings were still there, but there deeper now because I see this beautiful child you have given me. And I know now that I cannot let you get away from me again because if I did I would never live with myself and-" He was cut off by Joey kissing him again. 

Joey had stood, watching him ramble on and on and had realised that what he was saying was true of her feelings toward him also. She decided that the best way to express there feelings was to kiss him, so she did. 

They stood in the moonlight, locked in a passionate embrace, for several minutes, before they finally parted. Dawson hugged her close, breathing in her sent. "Joey, promise tou won't leave me again. I need you know, and I need to know my son." 

She lifted her head and looked into his eyes, which were now full of worry. "Dawson, I'm not going anywhere. This is a new beginning for all of us, and I want to be here for every moment." 

He kissed her again, and she responded eagerly. They took each others hands, and wandered back into the house to spend the night with their children. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Ok, ok, I know that ending is corny, but I am a hopeless Dawson and Joey romantic. This is the final part in this story but look for the first part of my next story "New Beginings". It should be done soon. Thanks to everyone who sent me the fabulous feedback, it was very much appreciated. Any ideas or comments can be sent to 'eshadlow11@hotmail.com'. Bye!! 


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